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Old 01-07-2013, 05:52 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January, 1862:

Some catching up today to set the stage for an event to come in a few days.

Because the last days of 1862 were so eventful..Chickasaw Bayou...loss of the Monitor....Stones River battle..Emancipation Proclamation...I did not cover a minor Confederate victory in Texas.

I mentioned some posts back that the Federal navy was embarking on a period of bad luck which would last through half of the coming year. On the heels of the sinking of the Cario and the loss of the Monitor, came the first recapture of a coastal town by the rebels and a complete fiasco for the US Navy.

Needing a western base for the blockading squadron, the US Navy had seized Galveston, Texas in October of 1862. A 400 man garrison was established ashore and a fleet of six warships maintained the blockade in the Gulf. To liberate the port, upriver in Houston the rebels had armed a steamer and a tugboat, the CS Bayou City and the CS Neptune, and armored both as cottonclads. The former mounted one 32 pounder, the latter was fitted out as a ram.

On the first day of 1863 the rebel vessels sailed downriver to Galveston and challenged the six Federal ships whose combined firepower was 28 guns. This was reduced early in the fight when the USS Westfield ran hard aground, taking itself out of the fight. The Neptune was quickly shot to pieces, knocked out of the fight and eventually sunk, but not before it had rammed the USS Harriet Lane, allowing the The Bayou City to come alongside and riddle her decks with rifle fire from their upper deck. The sniper fire killed the Lane's captain and his replacement, an inexperienced lieutenant, ordered the surrender as his ship was being boarded by sailors from the Bayou City. Since the Lane's commander was also the squadron commander, three other Union ships also ran up the white flag, thinking that they had been commanded to do so.

Meanwhile on the grounded Westfield, her captain was determined not to let his ship fall into enemy hands. Despite the squadron surrender, he ordered his crew to abandon ship while he went below and set a slow match in the ship's powder room. Something went badly wrong and the ship blew apart while the captain was still below.

While this was taking place, on shore General John Magruder, the theatrical rebel leader who had so badly fooled McClellan on the Peninsula, led a 500 man force in an attack on the Union garrison. Having seen their fleet surrender at sea, the demoralized Federals put up only a token defense before surrendering.

The commanders of the three Union ships which had surrendered decided that somehow or other, the attack upon the fort after the fleet had surrendered, was a violation of the rules of war...or good gentlemanly conduct...or something. At any rate they announced themselves unsurrendered as a consequence, turned about and sailed for New Orleans and safety. The Bayou City was not an ocean going vessel, so there was no pursuit, just a lot of grumbling and outrage.

When the smoke cleared the United States was out 400 soldiers, two gunboats and once port for their squadron. It was an extremely humiliating defeat, one which the US Navy was determined to avenge. They returned with a seven ship force, drawn from the Mobile blockading squadron, and reestablished the blockade on January 5th, but stayed out of the harbor, beyond the range of the rebel cottonclad.

But they were not out of the reach of danger as they were to learn on the 11th.

Artist conception of the sea battle:

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Old 01-08-2013, 05:50 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January 9th, 1863:

150 years ago this evening, the Army of the Mississippi, commanded by General McClernand, arrived at a landing point a few miles south of Arkansas Post and the disembarking troops immediately began advancing against Fort Hindman. The defenders were overawed by the size of the force, 33,000 men, seven gunboats and six rams, which had come after them, and they immediately fled from their outer trenches to the protection of the fort and its surrounding rifle pits. The rest of the day and the first half of the next would be devoted to getting the entire infantry force ashore.

Fort Hindman was set on a bluff in a horseshoe bend of the Arkansas River. It contained 5000 defenders with 12 heavy artillery pieces. The show would open tomorrow with Fleet Commander Porter being given the chance to eliminate those twelve guns with a massive naval bombardment. And if that was insufficient to force a surrender, then the infantry would be sent to finish the job.

Also on this day, General Grant at last arrived back in Memphis after calling off the advance against Vicksburg. Here he learned for the first time ..A) Sherman had not received the cancellation order and had gone ahead and attacked at Chickasaw Bayou, and had been repulsed. B) That McClernand had pulled rank and taken back his army which Grant had hijacked with General Halleck's aid. and C) Neither McClernand nor the army was in Memphis where Grant had expected to find it, instead it was off on the Arkansas Post adventure, as explained in the message McClernand had left for his chief. The note told Grant that McClernand felt that after the Vicksburg defeat, the men needed "re inspiration" which could only come with a military success.

Needless to say Grant was infuriated. The message seemed to be suggesting that McClernand would be setting straight the problem Grant had created by ordering the attack. It was a subordinate notifying a superior of an action already taken, one for which permission had not been sought. Worst of all it was coming from McClernand, a political general. Grant had no interest in politics and detested McClernand who conducted all of his affairs with an eye to political advancement for himself.

What made McClernand especially annoying was how undisguised his ambitions were. In the film "The Horse Soldiers", John Ford borrowed from numerous unrelated Civil War events and characters in his telling of the story of the Grierson raid. He has as the cavalry leader's second in command, an officer named Colonel Secord, who is, to everyone in the know, an obvious parody of McClernand. Secord struts about before battles openly and gleefully anticipating his chances for glory, calculating the effect of certain actions on the voters, concerning himself to a serious degree with what gets written in dispatches, all rather broadly sketched I thought. Later, the more I read about McClernand, the more I came to realize that the Secord parody wasn't really all that broad. McClernand really did openly drip politics. He would watch a battle while yelling things like "Glorious! Oh glorious! Such a report this shall make!" Or "My men drive the rebels and my star is ever more ascendant!" McClernand took great pains before an engagement to make sure that visiting journalists were given spots where they could witness the glory. He issued them telescopes, helped them climb trees.

Just imagine what a man with Grant's all business temperament would think of such a performance. And now this clown was off on some self serving hunt, relying on his political friends to protect him from charges of insubordination and acting without orders.

Since Halleck had helped Grant before in dealing with McClernand, Grant realized that he had an anti McClernand ally at the head of the Union army. He sat down and composed a telegram for his chief. "General McClernand has fallen back to White River and gone on a wild goose chase to the Post of Arkansas. I am ready to reinforce, but must await further information before knowing what to do."

Between those lines Grant knew that Halleck would see the real question being asked....just who is in charge here? Grant or McClernand?

Last edited by Grandstander; 01-08-2013 at 06:21 PM..
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Old 01-09-2013, 05:34 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January 10th, 1863:

Led by the Louisville, the De Kalb and the Cincinnati, 150 years ago this afternoon, the gunboats of Fleet Commander David Porter's river squadron sailed to within 400 yards of Fort Hindman and commenced their bombardment. Right away they chased the rebels manning the rifle pits back into the fort via flanking fire, then they turned their guns on the installation itself. The defenders of Hindman answered with dozen heavy guns and soon the area was blanketed with smoke.

The firing continued until darkness brought a halt. The rebel guns had gone silent before this and the assumption was that they had all been knocked out. Still, no offer of surrender was dispatched, so General Sherman decided to conduct a personal reconnaissance by moonlight. He could not see much, but he heard the Confederates hard at work with shovels and axes, repairing damage, remounting guns, all indications that they intended to continue the fight.

He reported to General McClernand that an infantry assault would be needed afterall, and requested permission to strike at dawn. McClernand signed off on the attack, but ordered Sherman to wait until early afternoon to get underway. McClernand wanted to make sure that the little army of journalist who were accompanying the expedition would have plenty of daylight illuminating the pageantry when the Union troops went forward. Or so went the joke circulating through the ranks.

Artist's Conceptions of The Naval Attack On Fort Hindman



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Old 01-10-2013, 05:18 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January 11th, 1862:

At 1:30 pm 150 years ago today the Federal gunboat fleet took up positions once more and resumed the bombardment of Fort Hindman. At the same time 32,000 infantry began advancing on the installation. The rebels had reoccupied their rifle pits and put up a strong resistance from there, those inside the fort could do little save huddle in bomb proofs as the naval shells fell and exploded continuously.

At 4 pm the advance had overrun the rifle pits and white flags began appearing all along the line. Sherman rode to the front and ordered a cease fire. A bit of comic opera followed because the fort's commander, Colonel John Dunnington, had ordered no surrender and was engaged in trying to get his men to withdraw the white flags as Sherman and his men entered the fort. There the odd scene took place where the rebels were arguing among themselves whether or not to surrender, while their fort was already taken. Sherman was patient for a short period, then lost his temper and ordered the Confederates to start stacking arms or his men would butcher the confused garrison. Yielding to the obvious reality, a formal surrender was finally given.

The Yankees had suffered just over a thousand casualties in the assault, 140 of them dead. The rebels had 109 men killed and injured, but of course nearly 5000 went into captivity with the surrender, a full quarter of the entire Confederate strength in the state.

General McClernand had watched the affair from aboard the USS Tigress and was beside himself with joy. "Splendid! Glorious! How they shall speak of this!"

One person who would not be speaking of it in glorious terms was General Grant. He would receive the news of the victory the next morning, but at the same time a telegram arrived from General in Chief Halleck with a reply to Grant's questions. It was precisely what Grant had wished.
"You are hereby authorized to relieve General McClernand from command of the expedition against Vicksburg, giving it to the next rank or taking it yourself."

While Grant detested politics, he then showed that he could be politically shrewd when needed. He concluded two things: 1) Halleck would not have given him this authorization without having cleared the political ramifications with the president, therefore Grant enjoyed the backing of Lincoln. and 2) Better to pocket this firing power for the moment and save it for a more advantageous time.

Sacking McClernand immediately, just after his triumph against Fort Hindman, would make Grant look like he was acting out of jealousy. Stringing McClernand along for a time was now possible since Grant knew, but McClernand did not, that the latter no longer enjoyed the special protection of the president and secretary of war.

What Grant could do right away was put McClernand on notice that there was to be one unified effort against Vicksburg, headed by a single commander....and that commander was not named McClernand. Six days after the fall of Hindman McClernand received a wire from Grant to that effect. The order also countermanded McClernand's plans for venturing further up the Arkansas River and ordered him to return to Memphis immediately. McClernand of course instantly hit the telegraph wires demanding help from his friends in Washington. It was not to come. McClernand could be a corps commander under the hated Grant, or he could be left out of the glory entirely.

************************************************** *******************

On this same day, outside the harbor at Galveston, Texas, the reinforced Union blockade squadron was on station. They had engaged in some long range exchanges of artillery fire, but no attempt was being contemplated to try and retake the town.

An hour before sunset, an unknown ship came over the horizon, approaching from the south. It progressed toward the squadron for a time, and then came to a stop, keeping its distance. The behavior struck the squadron commander as suspicious and he ordered the USS Hatteras, a ten gun sidewheel steamer to investigate.

As the Hatteras drew near, the mystery ship turned about as if contemplating an escape. The Hatteras pursued until both ships were some distance from the support of the squadron. At that point it once more came to a stop, as though exhausted. Her sails were taken down, the ship appeared dead in the water. The Hatteras approached within 100 yards before being able to see in the darkness that the ship was flying a British flag.

The Hatteras lowered a boat with a boarding party and sent it over to determine the identity of the ship and the reasons for its strange behavior. Just as the boat neared the vessel, the Union Jack was suddenly yanked down, the Stars and Bars run up to replace it. A voice called out "This is the Confederate steamer Alabama. Fire!"

With that the Hatteras was struck by a broadside and had to scramble to start a defense of itself. The advantage of the surprise was decisive and in a brief exchange of gunfire, the Hatteras took a crippling shot which flooded her magazine and damaged her beam. Thirteen minutes after the first shots, the Hatteras struck her colors. The crew was removed and six minutes later the Hatteras sunk.

The Alabama of course was the raiding ship commanded by the CSA's biggest naval hero, Captain Raphael Semmes. It was his 35th victim, but the first warship Semmes had ever engaged. Semmes was on the scene because he had read about the Galveston situation in a captured northern newspaper. He had been burning with a desire to have it out with another fighting ship and now he had his victory, albeit one achieved with less than chivalrous sea ethics.

The rest of the Federal squadron steamed out when it heard the firing, but upon arriving could find no trace of the Hatteras, nor of the mystery ship which was making its escape with 118 Union prisoners aboard. When the sun came up they spotted the Hatteras boarding party boat which had survived the battle along with its six occupants. They told the fleet about the disaster.

Compounding this humiliation, the Confederates capitalized on the weakened Mobile blockade (ships had been drawn from there to reestablish the Galveston squadron) to sneak the CSS Florida, the other raider built by Britain and clandestinely sold to the South, past the blockading ships and out into the open sea where it was now free to range at will and prey on US commerce.

The death of the USS Hatteras..artist's conception of its final battle with the CSS Alabama.

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Old 01-11-2013, 05:16 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January 12th, 1863:
The third session of the First Confederate Congress convened 150 years ago today and was addressed by President Davis who delivered the South's official response to the Emancipation Proclamation.

Davis began with an explanation of what it was..
Quote:
The public journals of the North have been received containing a proclamation dated on the first day of the present month signed by the President of the United States in which he orders and declares all slaves within ten States of the Confederacy to be free.
(Ten states is correct, Tennessee was mostly under Federal control at this time and was exempted, treated in the same manner as the loyal border states.)

Then he explained what was wrong with it and in doing so, restated the southern philosophy regarding the capacities and place of the colored person in society, and why slavery was actually a benefit bestowed upon them by their superiors.

Quote:
We may well leave it to the instincts of that common humanity which a beneficent Creator has implanted in the breasts of our fellowmen of all countries to pass judgement on a measure by which several millions of human beings of an inferior race, peaceful and contented laborers in their sphere, are doomed to extermination, while at the same time they are encouraged to a general assassination of their masters by the insidious recommendation "to abstain from violence unless in necessary self-defense
.."contented laborers"...one would think that after 200,000 slaves had fled to the sanctuary of Union armies , this happy in their work position was a bit discredited and should be dropped.

Davis concluded by characterizing the Proclamation as:

Quote:
...... the most execrable measure recorded in the history of guilty man...
And to fight against it Davis promised to...

Quote:
deliver to the several State authorities all commissioned officers of the United States that may hereafter be captured by our forces in any of the States embraced in the proclamation that they may be dealt with in accordance with the laws of those States providing for the punishment of criminals engaged in exciting servile insurrection. The enlisted soldiers I shall continue to treat as unwilling instruments in the commission of these crimes and shall direct their discharge and return to their homes on the proper and usual parole.
Or in other words, all captured Union officers who in any manner could be associated with executing the terms of the Proclamation, would not be treated as prisoners of war but as common criminals subject to prevailing state penal codes.
Extract of Message from Jefferson Davis to CSA Congress - January 12, 1863 :: Civil War :: Correspondence - Confederate :: Lest We Forget

Davis had already indulged in this same sort of impractical bluster a few months previous when after learning that the raising of black troops was going to be permitted in the North, he announced that all white officers leading such troops would be subject to civil prosecution for inciting servile insurrection. That had yet to be enforced and the above measure would also be shelved without being used. Davis backed down because he realized that such measures would only produce retaliatory actions taken against rebel prisoners of war. You can't conduct a moral outrage war when you are already at war because war itself is already a moral outrage.


Confederate Capitol Building In Richmond

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Old 01-16-2013, 06:59 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January 17th, 1863:

President Lincoln was not in good spirits these days. In the fall he had replaced the chiefs of two of his three main armies, created a new one from mid westerners under General McClernand, and hoped to see victories before the winter shut down campaigning.

General Banks arrived in New Orleans too late to strike any major blows in the remaining time. General Burnside had raised high hopes by stealing a march on General Lee, but then came to grief at Fredericksburg. General Grant had been flustered by the loss of his supply base at Holly Springs and had to cancel his movement against Vicksburg. And McClernand, once he got his army back, forgot all about Vicksburg in favor of an unauthorized hunt for easy glory at Arkansas Post.

There was still one hope left if anything was to be accomplished before campaigns were rendered impossible by hostile weather. Since the start of the new year, northern Virginia had been enjoying an unusually mild, dry winter. There was no meteorological reason why the Army of the Potomac had to remain in quarters, so Burnside began to formulate plans for a flanking movement seven miles south of Fredericksburg.

Then the backbiting began. Two generals from the Fifth Corps, John Newton and John Cochrane, were on leave of absence in DC and managed to get a meeting with President Lincoln through the offices of Secretary Steward. They took the opportunity to warn Lincoln that such was the state of mind of the rank and file, that if Burnside attempted to do anything with them the army would mutiny and fall apart. Both generals swore that this report had nothing to do with personal ambition, they were both just concerned about the nation's welfare.

Lincoln didn't believe that, but he did summon Burnside to the capitol and reveal that "anonymous" members of his officer corps has made such charges. Burnside exploded with indignation and demanded the names of his accusers, the president declined to identify them. Burnside then launched into a tirade against war secretary Stanton and general in chief Halleck, advising the president to dismiss these dangerous men.

So, morale at the highest levels was not a strong point for the Army of the Potomac at this moment. Lincoln summoned Halleck and suggested that he go to Fredericksburg personally and investigate the matter. Halleck tried to refuse, saying his place was in Washington. Lincoln showed one of his rare flashes of temper at this response. He pointed out to Halleck that the entire idea of having a general in chief was for resolving exactly these sorts of problems.

Chastised but obedient, Halleck made the trip, pretended to listen to all points of view, and left Burnside with vague, fortune cookie level advice which could be contracted as "Beat Lee and all will be well."

So 150 years ago today, Burnside, having resolved to take a last shot at Lee and personal vindication, again planned a flanking march, this time north of Fredericksburg. His plan was very much a foreshadowing of what his replacement would attempt the following Spring. Hold Lee's main force at Fredericksburg with one or two corps, and take the rest across the Rappahannock River at the US and Banks Fords, slipping behind Lee once it cleared the area called The Wilderness.

Burnside set the movement to begin January 19th.

The Plan....Looks Nearly Indistinguishable From the Chancellorsville Plan.


Last edited by Grandstander; 01-16-2013 at 07:17 PM..
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Old 01-19-2013, 05:26 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January 20th, 1863:

Quote:
"The commanding general announces to the Army of the Potomac that they are about to meet the enemy once more.....The auspicious moment seems to have arrived to strike a great and mortal blow to the rebellion and to gain that decisive victorywhich is due our country."
OUR SPECIAL ARMY CORRESPONDENCE - The Arrangements for the Proposed Movement. - NYTimes.com

The above inspirational message was read to the troops 150 years ago this morning as they assembled to march North on General Burnside's planned flanking movement behind General Lee's position at Fredericksburg. The sun was shining, the temperature was mild, the "auspicious moment" did seem at hand. This time the pontoons were ready to travel with the troops and there would be no repeat of the fiasco which had stranded Burnside last November after he had stolen a march on Lee.

Instead it would be an entirely new sort of fiasco. The fine weather which had prevailed since the start of the year, held until mid afternoon when it began to drizzle, but around sunset it turned into driving sheets of heavy rain. The men made a miserable camp that evening, hard pressed to get any fires started or find a dry spot on which to sleep. The rain continued throughout the night and the army awoke in a sea of mud.

The troops fell in to resume the march and progress was slow, then slower, then it came to a halt completely as wagons and guns sank up to their wheel hubs and mule and horse teams had to be doubled, then tripled to pull them free. Then the vehicle would progress for another fifty feet before re sinking, guns to where only the muzzle remained above the surface, wagons where the wheels vanished entirely. The rain continued to cascade on the army and showed no sign of easing. Every soldier and officer in the Army of the Potomac recognized the hopelessness of the situation and concluded that it was no longer a matter of going forward, rather it was a matter of trying to get back.

All save Ambrose Burnside, who in character, had a plan and was going to stick with it regardless of the altered conditions. He sent out orders that the march would resume the next morning, and to cheer the soaked and miserable men, he authorized a double ration of whiskey for all ranks. This was greatly abused and before long a large portion of the army was drunk in the mud. An alcohol fueled brawl erupted between a Pennsylvania and a Massachusetts regiment, two thousand men wrestling in the slop. A Maine regiment was sent to break up the fight, and instead was drawn into it, serving only to increase the size of the riot. They fought on until exhausted.

Compounding this chaos were the rebel pickets across the river who were shadowing the march and observing the entire calamity , and who of course were greatly amused. "This Way To Richmond" signs began appearing with arrows pointing in the opposite direction. False cheers of encouragement were provided for each new breakdown of a wagon or horse falling in the mud. Union officers who lost their footing and wound up on their rears were the most appreciated portion of the show.

Finally at mid day even Burnside was able to grasp how futile trying to continue would be. The element of surprise was clearly gone, the troops were completely demoralized and their respect for their commander stood at zero. They were turned around and slopped their way back to their old camps across from Fredericksburg.

To say that morale was now low in the Army of the Potomac is to gravely understate the situation. Desertion reached an all time high, Burnside's sub commanders were in rebellion and the commander was speaking of pressing charges against these traitors. Generals Hooker and Franklin were especially vocal in airing their complaints to any politician who would listen. Clearly the situation could not be allowed to continue, Burnside had to go.

And in a few days Burnside would make this task easier for President Lincoln.


Forward! Mush!





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Old 01-22-2013, 04:58 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January 23rd, 1863:

150 years ago today the White House received a telegram from General Ambrose Burnside. It was addressed to President Lincoln and read:
Quote:
"I have prepared some very important orders and I want to see you before issuing them. Can I see you alone at the White House after midnight?"
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 6.

Naturally those with awareness of the telegram began to speculate on the purpose of the requested conference. The consensus was that the Army of the Potomac commander had crafted a new plan for another offensive since his last one had turned into the comic opera Mud March. If so, they would not find out that night, for the general was a no show.

Burnside had issued orders for a special train to be waiting for him at Falmouth, but with the sloppy conditions which had derailed his attempt to flank Lee behind Fredericksburg still prevailing, a soaked and muddy Burnside did not reach Falmouth until midnight. Heaping indignity upon indignity, upon arrival he was frustrated to learn that the train had given up on him and left the station. In what must have been a pity inspiring sight, the general took a lantern and began walking up the track. After a time a train materialized, Burnside flagged it down and ordered it immediately to Washington.

He would arrive the next day around noon. It was then that the president would learn that Burnside's mystery orders concerned something entirely different from what was expected.
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Old 01-23-2013, 04:58 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January 24th, 1863:

General Burnside had long been noted for his congeniality, consequently it was a surprise to President Lincoln when the Army of the Potomac commander arrived at the White House 150 years ago today and presented the special orders he planned to issue. What was surprising was Burnside declaring that if these orders were not approved, he would resign.

The orders called for not merely the transfer or demotion, but the outright dismissal from the service of four generals, Joseph Hooker, W.T.H. Wright, and generals Newton and Cochrane, the ones who had used their leave in Washington to get a meeting with Lincoln where they had bad mouthed Burnside and called for his replacement. The orders called further for relieving six other officers, including generals Franklin and W.F. Smith, along with three brigadiers and one staff Colonel.

The list was obviously based not on leadership or ability in the field, rather it was composed of those officers who had been griping about Burnside behind his back. This was the final demonstration that Burnside would give regarding how little he understood his own situation. He had bungled the Fredericksburg campaign and battle at a horrible cost, and then demoralized the army further with the humiliating Mud March. Add in the fact that Burnside himself had always claimed that the high command was beyond his abilities and you have a man throwing down "or else" demands to people who had reason to welcome the "or else."

The president took a night to think matters over, or at least give the appearance of thinking it over, and the next day issued his own special orders. Burnside was relieved of command and replaced by Hooker, the key target of Burnside's ire. Generals Sumner and Franklin were also transferred to other theaters under the theory that scattering the disaffected would eliminate the plotting and turmoil. Hooker would not be saddled with the sort of dissident subordinates that he himself had been to Burnside.

Out: General Ambrose Burnside




In: General Joseph Hooker

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Old 01-25-2013, 05:11 PM
 
Location: Parts Unknown, Northern California
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January 26th, 1863:

During the period when General Burnside's critics were blasting him to whichever politicians were available to listen, General Hooker had gone a step further and directed some nasty comments toward the man who had hired Burnside to head the Army of the Potomac. Hooker suggested that President Lincoln had been an "imbecile" when selecting Burnside and that what the nation needed was a dictator to replace these stumblebum civilian leaders.

Now that critic had been given command of that army, a decision that the president had reached without consulting either the Secretary of War or his General in Chief. 150 years ago today he was summoned by that "imbecile" for a conference. When Hooker arrived, Lincoln handed him a letter to read.

Quote:
I have placed you at the head of the Army of the Potomac. Of course I have done this upon what appear to me to be sufficient reasons. And yet I think it best for you to know that there are some things in regard to which, I am not quite satisfied with you.

I believe you to be a brave and a skilful soldier, which, of course, I like. I also believe you do not mix politics with your profession, in which you are right. You have confidence in yourself, which is a valuable, if not an indispensable quality. You are ambitious, which, within reasonable bounds, does good rather than harm. But I think that during Gen. Burnside's command of the Army, you have taken counsel of your ambition, and thwarted him as much as you could, in which you did a great wrong to the country, and to a most meritorious and honorable brother officer.

I have heard, in such way as to believe it, of your recently saying that both the Army and the Government needed a Dictator. Of course it was not for this, but in spite of it, that I have given you the command. Only those generals who gain successes, can set up dictators. What I now ask of you is military success, and I will risk the dictatorship. The government will support you to the utmost of it's ability, which is neither more nor less than it has done and will do for all commanders. I much fear that the spirit which you have aided to infuse into the Army, of criticising their Commander, and withholding confidence from him, will now turn upon you. I shall assist you as far as I can, to put it down. Neither you, nor Napoleon, if he were alive again, could get any good out of an army, while such a spirit prevails in it.

And now, beware of rashness. Beware of rashness, but with energy, and sleepless vigilance, go forward, and give us victories.

Yours very truly
A. Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln's Letter to Major General Joseph Hooker

Hooker was a bit stung by the frank criticisms which the president had included, but was more strongly impressed by Lincoln's gentle tone, goal oriented focus, and absence of vindictiveness despite Lincoln showing awareness of having been bad mouthed by Hooker. He later wrote that he had found the letter to have a paternalistic feel, as though it was written by a concerned father to a son who leaving home to take on the world. Even though Hooker would eventually be sacked by the president, he never lost his respect and devotion to the man during or after the war.

This was a common occurrence with Abraham Lincoln, the converting of critics into not just supporters, but unabashed admirers. Secretary of State Seward had thought Lincoln an inexperienced country rube who would reign while Seward actually ran the nation. He wound up a devoted Lincoln booster and would confess to having been utterly wrong in his initial evaluations. Secretary of War Stanton, about as hard and unsentimental a figure as the Civil War era produced, and who had called Lincoln "the original gorilla", wound up weeping uncontrollably after Lincoln died. Even General Sherman who hated all politicians, after meeting the president had noted that he had never met anyone, anywhere, who combined the qualities of greatness and goodness to such a degree.
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